Facts carry weight. Facts, researched, confirmed and properly presented, have mass which attract one another. Enough facts, enough mass, enough attraction and a conclusion is born (even if it leaves room for modifications later on). The opposite of facts are opinions. Opinions have no mass – they float in the ether. They frequently tart themselves up as theory but they have no gravity of their own – they’re held together by the will of the individual who states them.

The very online platforms that allow the free transfer of facts between people on a scale never imagined before have also greatly expanded the ether of opinion. Facts can be deployed to prove or disprove, but increasingly opinion has sidestepped this approach and instead taken on the aura of belief – and beliefs don’t need to be proved. They’re personal. Take issue with an opinion and you may awaken the dragon of ‘offence’.

The following graphic presents facts – these facts have mass – they attract one another and lead to a conclusion. Although, in this case, if you pay too much attention to the facts you may risk not getting your Christmas present… so think carefully before you draw your conclusion!